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Public Comment Sought on New Memorial to Peace Corps

WASHINGTON—The National Park Service (NPS) and the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation (PCCF) announce the beginning of the Environmental Assessment (EA) process to evaluate the impacts of establishing a commemorative work to honor the founding of the Peace Corps and the ideals on which the Peace Corps was founded.The PCCF, in cooperation with the NPS, has identified several parcels adjacent to the U.S. Capitol and along Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 18th Street NW and Rock Creek Park as potential sites for the commemorative work.

As the first step in the EA process, the NPS is seeking public comments on the proposed sites. A public scoping meeting will be held by the NPS and the PCCF on Thursday, October 23 between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the District Architecture Center at 421 7th Street NW in Washington, DC. During this open house, the project team will be available to discuss the various alternatives and site characteristics.Comment forms will be available at the meeting.

How to Comment

The preferred manner for providing comments is via an online form through the National Park Service Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website, used by the agency to manage official correspondence and analyze public comment in the planning process.From the project website (https://parkplanning.nps.gov/nama), select "Peace Corps Memorial" from the list, then navigate the menu on the left hand side of the page to "Open for Comment."

Comments must be entered into the website or postmarked by November 11, 2014 to receive consideration.

Please be aware that the entire comment submitted –including personal identifying information such as address, phone number, e-mail address –may be made publicly available. Requests to withhold such personal identifying information from public release will be considered, but there is no guarantee that they will be withheld.

Following the site selection, the PCCF will design and construct a memorial, and the NPS will be responsible for its long-term maintenance. The potential sites identified are administered by National Mall and Memorial Parks or by Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, both of which are administrative units of the NPS.The NPS and the PCCF are preparing the EA in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in order to identify alternatives and assess the potential impacts of the proposal.

Concurrently, the NPS, the PCCF, and National Capital Planning Commission will consult with the District of Columbia State Historic Preservation Officer in order to determine the project's potential effect on historic resources, consistent with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.